


tender when they aren't around

by asexuelf



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Christian Character, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dialogue Heavy, Established Relationship, F/F, Forgiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 09:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21455536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asexuelf/pseuds/asexuelf
Summary: Victoria is thoughtful, kind, and loving. Kate wants other people to see that, too.
Relationships: Victoria Chase/Kate Marsh
Comments: 15
Kudos: 60





	tender when they aren't around

**Author's Note:**

> despite hella revisions, i can't seem to get this to a point i'm happy with, so hope you can enjoy it as is
> 
> rated 't' for brief naughty joke and Bad Words. nothing the game couldn't give ya.

Kate doesn't like the way people see Victoria.

She knows it's Victoria's fault - Victoria has been so mean to so many people - but she finds she can't help it. People glare at Victoria and Kate wants to glare back. Friends will say awful things about Victoria when Kate passes them in the hall and it just makes her chest ache so terribly. It's part protectiveness and part… something else. Something angry that she doesn't want to name.

"I want to tell them," she whispers. They're alone in Victoria's bedroom and Kate's nose is pressed against her girlfriend's warm throat, her eyes closed to shelter herself from the world outside of this moment.

"Tell what to who?"

Victoria's words are cold, sharp, sometimes vicious - to anyone who isn't Kate. But people don't know Victoria the way Kate does. Most of them never will. They only see the jagged edges she shows them and never the fear or the care underneath.

"I wish I could tell everyone that you're so, so good." Just for comfort, Kate kisses her neck. Her shoulder. Curls tight against her chest. "I wish I could show people how good you are to me."

Victoria sighs, but still jokes, "Didn't take you for the voyeuristic type. I guess it is always the quiet ones." The joke doesn't land - she sounds too sad. Her body is too tense.

"Don't be-"

"Yes, yes,  _ don't be lewd, Vicky. _ " Victoria rubs a hand up and down Kate's back to gentle any hurt the words may dig up. "Not before marriage and all that."

"Don't tease."

"I know. Not before marriage."

" _ Vicky! _ " But Kate can't help it - she laughs, ducks her face closer to Victoria's chest and grins. "Please!"

Victoria laughs too, nuzzles her nose into Kate's hair and really smiles. She's so warm and so soft. When she pulls Kate's hair out of her bun, she does it so gently that not even the smallest of baby hairs is pulled. Kate loves that. Kate wants other people to love that too.

"Okay," her girl whispers. Kate's forehead is kissed. "I'll be nice. To you. But you know better than anyone that I'm not good."

Kate freezes. "What?"

"I'm not good. I'm mean and awful and - and I've been that way to  _ you _ , a million times. Worse to you than to anyone."

"But that's not  _ you- _ "

"It is me. It's the public me. One could argue that's the realest and most recognizable me there is."

Kate shakes her head. There's truth there - too much truth. But there's more to it, more that Victoria doesn't want to admit. "No. No, it isn't."

"Kate-"

"You're the sweet girl that watches movies first to make sure I can watch them too. You're the sweet girl that learned how to make tea so you could brew it for me my favorite way. You're the sweet girl that holds my hand double in private because you can't do it at the park."

Victoria is quiet as the words sink in. Then she says, "But I'm also the person that puts down other girls in any way I can. I'm also the person that toys with people's relationships just to hurt them. I'm also the person that calls people fucked up names-"  _ Gasp _ . "-sorry, messed up names when I pass them in the hallway."

There wasn't much to argue there.

"You can be the person you are to me out there too."

"We both know I can't."

Kate doesn't believe that. Victoria is more than capable. But Victoria is also barely held together by her fear of falling apart, so Kate doesn't argue. She just holds her girlfriend as tight as she can.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! 💖


End file.
